Olympics a Source of Pride for Korean Community in North TX

By Kevin Cokely

Nearly 100,000 Koreans now call North Texas home, and many of them rose before dawn Friday to watch online as the Opening Ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics happened live.

(Published Friday, Feb. 9, 2018)

Nearly 100,000 Koreans now call North Texas home, and many of them rose before dawn Friday to watch online as the Opening Ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics happened live.

"I was very impressed when South Korea and North Korea team, both sides came at once. So I feel it will be some kind of crying inside, because many Koreans want one Korea, not two separate Koreas," said Sanghoon Rhee, a producer at AM 730 DKNET Radio in Dallas, the only Korean radio station in Texas.

Others who watched were encouraged by the two handshakes between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"It's a very historic moment. It means that North Korea and South Korea are getting close," said Minjung Kim, general manager of the radio station.

The 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics are a source of pride of Koreans living in North Texas.

"To see that we're able to put up this type of event that all over the world, athletes come from all over the world, and to be able to put that event in Korea it's a proud moment," said John Jun, the Korean American Coalition Dallas/Fort Worth chapter president.